Two medicines, side by side
Tapentadol vs hydrocodone
Tapentadol and hydrocodone are both labeled for pain. Drugs@FDA records approvals of tapentadol since 2008 and of hydrocodone since 2013. Pharmacies paid $14.48 per tapentadol HCl 100 mg tablet and $7.95 per hydrocodone ER 15 mg capsule (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. Hydrocodone's other strengths are brand-only: $13.31 per Hysingla ER 20 mg tablet. How each works, in its label's words: Tapentadol, “Tapentadol is a centrally-acting synthetic analgesic.”; Hydrocodone, “Hydrocodone is a full opioid agonist with relative selectivity for the mu-opioid receptor, although it can interact with other opioid receptors at higher doses.”
Check it at the source: the tapentadol FDA label on DailyMed (effective February 26, 2026); the hydrocodone FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 29, 2026).
Highlights of the tapentadol record
Tapentadol (Nucynta) · label of February 26, 2026
SERIOUS AND LIFE-THREATENING RISKS FROM USE OF tapentadol TABLETS Addiction, Abuse, and Misuse Because the use of tapentadol tablets exposes patients and other users to the risks of opioid addiction, abuse, and misuse, which can lead to overdose and death, assess each patient's risk prior to prescribing and reassess all patients regularly for the development of these behaviors and conditions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ].
Used for
From the label: indicationsTapentadol tablets are indicated for the management of acute pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate in adults and pediatric patients aged 6 years and older with a body weight of at least 40kg. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- November 20, 2008
- Generic labelers
- 4 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $14.48 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 0
Highlights of the hydrocodone record
Hydrocodone (Hysingla) · label of May 29, 2026
SERIOUS AND LIFE-THREATENING RISKS FROM USE OF HYSINGLA ER Addiction, Abuse, and Misuse Because the use of HYSINGLA ER exposes patients and other users to the risks of opioid addiction, abuse, and misuse, which can lead to overdose and death, assess each patient's risk prior to prescribing and reassess all patients regularly for the development of these behaviors and conditions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ].
Used for
From the label: indicationsHYSINGLA ER is indicated for the management of severe and persistent pain that requires an opioid analgesic and that cannot be adequately treated with alternative options, including immediate-release opioids. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- October 25, 2013
- Generic labelers
- 1 labeler
- Pharmacy cost
- $7.95 per capsule
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 0
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Tapentadol label of February 26, 2026, Hydrocodone label of May 29, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do tapentadol and hydrocodone differ on the record?
How each works, in its label's words: Tapentadol, “Tapentadol is a centrally-acting synthetic analgesic.”; Hydrocodone, “Hydrocodone is a full opioid agonist with relative selectivity for the mu-opioid receptor, although it can interact with other opioid receptors at higher doses.”
Both are in FDA's class opioid agonists.
Half-life, in each label's words: Tapentadol, “The terminal half-life is on average 4 hours after oral administration.”; Hydrocodone, “The mean terminal half-life (t 1/2 ) was similar for all HYSINGLA ER dose strengths ranging from 7 to 9 hours.”
Both labels carry a boxed warning; the records quote them.
Generics: tapentadol since 2026; hydrocodone since 2020 (Drugs@FDA).
| Tapentadol | Hydrocodone | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Pain | Pain |
| Pharmacologic class | Opioid Agonist | Opioid Agonist |
| How it works (label) | Tapentadol is a centrally-acting synthetic analgesic. The exact mechanism of action is unknown. | Hydrocodone is a full opioid agonist with relative selectivity for the mu-opioid receptor, although it can interact with other opioid receptors at higher doses. The principal therapeutic action of hydrocodone is analgesia. |
| Half-life (label) | The terminal half-life is on average 4 hours after oral administration. | The mean terminal half-life (t 1/2 ) was similar for all HYSINGLA ER dose strengths ranging from 7 to 9 hours. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | November 20, 2008 | October 25, 2013 |
| First generic approved | January 26, 2026 | January 21, 2020 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 4 labelers | 1 labeler |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $14.48 per tablet (Tapentadol HCl 100 mg tablet) | $7.95 per capsule (Hydrocodone ER 15 mg capsule) |
| 12-month price change | n/a | +34% |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 0 | 0 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 33,272 | 43,191 |
| DEA schedule | CII | CII |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What do the labels say about using others of their kind?
Hydrocodone label, warnings and precautionsUse with Benzodiazepines or Other CNS Depressants Profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death may result from the concomitant use of HYSINGLA ER with benzodiazepines and/or other CNS depressants, including alcohol (e.g., non-benzodiazepine sedatives/hypnotics, anxiolytics, tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, general anesthetics, antipsychotics, gabapentinoids [gabapentin or pregabalin], and other …
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA
What next?
- Alternatives to tapentadol
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions